Why in the world is Reds' Lorenzen using Cueto's and Chapman's gear?
Everybody knows baseball players can be strangely superstitious, but Michael Lorenzen just took it, or whatever you'd call this, to a new level.
When the Cincinnati Reds right-hander took the mound Monday night he was looking for something to give him a spark and turn around his recent misfortune. So he did just what you would figure, or something like that. He used a glove belonging to Johnny Cueto, and laced up a pair of cleats belonging to Aroldis Chapman.
Reds fans watching on TV quickly realized the glove switch because Cueto's glove has, well, "Cueto" stitched along the thumb.
Why'd he do it?
"Why not?" Lorenzen told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "These guys are unbelievable, so whenever I can use their stuff, I'm going to do it."
The Enquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans reported that Lorenzen actually traded Cueto a glove while Chapman afforded him a couple pair of cleats. Lorenzen told him he hoped Chapman's cleats would somehow add a little extra speed to his fastball, and that Cueto's glove would help his control.
Did it work?
Well, the control part at least, maybe not so much. Lorenzen threw 106 pitches in just five innings. He trailed 4-3 and he walked three while striking out five.
Lorenzen, though, remains optimistic that it'll come. After all, that was the second time he wore Cueto's glove, and, according to Lorenzen, the third time is the charm.
"Command will come -- hopefully it'll come," Lorenzen said. "It's going to come. I heard it takes three starts for it to come, and that was the second one. I used (the glove) in Miami."
(h/t Cincinnati Enquirer)
Photo Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
